Temporary binder



Nov. 26, 1949. F. EDLER ET AL TEMPORARY BINDER Filed March 12, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I 772062272725. Erzrz-Ed/er 21 2/56/77) Sc/aae/il' Nov. 26,1940, F. EDLER ETIXL TEMPORARY BINDER FiledMarch 12, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 a Z5 5m 4 .0 3%

Patented Nov. 26,1940

TEMPORARY BINDER Fritz Edi er, Hanover, and Wilhelm Schaefer,

. Berlin-Wilmersdorf, Germany Application March 12, 1938, Serial No. 195,462

' In Germany March 15, 1937 9 Claims.

The present invention relates" to devices for temporarily binding loose leaves orcards provided with perforations. In particular, the invention is concerned with prong unitsor yokes bent of wire which serve the above mentioned purpose and, as a rule, are usedwi thout'a' base plate and may, for instance, simply'be heldin position by a strip of paper, card-board or'tl'ie like provided with corresponding perforations and fixed to a cover or the like of a temporary binder, a loose leaf 'book'or the like serving to hold loose leaves or cards. These prong units may be swung in such a mannerfthat the openings of the units are located abov'e'the strip of paper or the like for theipurpo'se of allowing exchange of the leaves or cards and turning over of the leaves or cards from one side of the temporary binder, loose leaf bookor the like to the other respectively. a I

When using prongunits'of kind anexchange of cards or leaves is rendered possible only from the side, but not at any desired place of the opened pile of cards or leaves, as this, for instance, is possible with temporary binders or the like provided with subdivided prongs consisting of two oppositely arrangedswingable prong portions.

The above mentioned disadvantage is particularly annoying if in spite of simplicity and cheapness of the binding an easy and quick insertion of leaves, cards or the like at any desired place of a rather large pile of leaves, cards or the like is desired.

One object of the invention, therefore, is to obviate this drawback. The purpose aimed at is obtained by the fact, that two prong units are provided on a common base strip or the like and both prong units are pivotally mounted or one of them is fixedly arranged.

Another object of the present invention'is to provide, a simple and therefore cheap means, requiring a small spaceonly, for securing the free ends of the pivotal prong units. This object is achieved according to thepresent inventionb'y the fact, that the securing of the units is obtained by snapping the free end of one or more prongs below the edge of a sheet metal strip, the other edge of which bears against the foot of one or more of the units. This essential feature of the invention is of independentimportance.

'A still further object of the inventionis a modification of the device described above by means of which, in case one or more l'eaves or so cards are withdrawn at any place from a binder,

book or the like provided with-pronglunits ac cording to the" invention, theinter'm'ediatespace occurring between the end's'of the leaves or card's overlapping each other in the form of scales may be reduced to'the' ordinary dimensions by a simple operation of the prong unit, whereas in a similar manner" a card or le'af withdrawn at any part or anew leaf or card may be inserted between two cards or leaves in such-a manner, that the overlapping in the form' of scales is not disturbed. '16 I This is of great advantage in connection with numerically: and alphabetically disposed leaves or cards, becausejleav'es or cards withdrawn from v the binder or the like mayby this means may be quickly inserted and fixed into the proper position'. 'Also new leaves or cards may be easily inserted and fixed at any desired positionwith out covering or rendering invisible the marks serving for easily finding the individual'cards or leaves and provided at juXta-positi'oned-card's' or leaves.- "Weare aware, that loose leaf books are known already in which by shifting a set of prongs or yokes with regard to the other set of yokes or prongs, leaves or cards may be insertedZ-in s2 similar manner at any desired place of the book. These devices, however, are of "extremelycomplicatd construction and due to their high costs cannot be used in cohnectionwith simple binders which must be available'at low costsQ A further object of the invention, therefore, consists in 'providinga device of this kind which is of extremely simple construction, easy to opmate and cheap to manufacture, so that the device adapts itself to cheap binders or the like, such as are us ed as arule in workshops and very often by commercial travellers.

Some constructions of devices according to the invention are shown by way of example in the accompanying drawings. l

In thesedrawings: v

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a prong unit according tothe invention secured to acover of temporary binder or the, like, i

Fig. 2 is asection on line II--II of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a section on line III III of 1, 11

' Fig. 4 shows a perspective view'similar to Fig. 1 of a prong unit of other construction secured to a cover of a temporary binder, V H i Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a further modified construction, I I I v Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a modified con struction, Q 1

1 .s qw as i no i e V I-W1 0 {Fi i i PATENT OFFICE Fig. 8 is a perspective'view similar to that of Fig. 6 showing leaves or cards inserted in a binder or the like.

' Referring now to the device according to the inventionsh'own in Figures 1-3. Fixed to a cover I The prong unit 4 is provided with curved prongs in the form of less than half circular yokes only and is held by the bent ends 5 and 6 bearing against the cover I and strip 2 in such a manner as to prevent swinging movement with respect to the latter.

Opposite one of the end yokes of the prong unit 3 a sheet metal strip I is fixed to the strip 2,

the width of the sheet metal strip I corresponding about to the width of the prongs or yokes of the prong unit 3. One edge of this sheet metal strip 1 bears against the foot of the prong or yoke. The

end prong or yoke of the prong unit 3 located above the sheet metal strip I has somewhat smaller dimensions than the other prongs or yokes of this unit, so that when the prong unit is swung into the position shown in Fig. 1, the free ;end of this yoke or prong provided with a detent or a small recess resiliently snaps under the edge of the sheet metal strip 1. The prong unit thereby is positively held in the closed position. The half circular yokes or prongs 'of the prong unit 4 are arranged about midway between each two complete prongs or yokes of the double prong unit 3 and serve the purpose only of holding the turned over leaves on opening of the prong unit 3.

According to the construction shown in Fig. 4

Q ;the two prong units 8 and 9 are of the same construction. Both of these prong units are pivotally connected to the base strip 2. Instead of the small sheet metal strip I a sheet metal plate Ii] extending over the entire length of the prong .units is provided according to this modification.

The yokes or prongs of the units 8 and 9 are staggered with regard to each other and both edges of the sheet metal plate IIJ bear against the feet of the yokes or prongs of the unit 8 at the one 0:;hand and of the unit 9 on the other hand, On

closing the temporary binder or the like provided with a device of this construction, the free ends of all the yokes or prongs of both prong units snap below the corresponding edge of the sheet metal 5 ;plate I 0, whereby all the yokes or prongs are held in the closed position.

The modification shown in Fig. 5 differs from that illustrated in Fig. 1 by the fact, that the pivotally connected prong unit I I is provided with 60 quarter circular yokes or prongs I2 besides the complete yokes or prongs II. These quarter circular yokes or prongs I2 are arranged between the complete yokes or prongs and lie opposite the quarter circular yokes or prongs I3 of the prong unit I6 which by the bent ends I4, I5 is prevented from being moved pivotally. In the closed position the quarter circular yokes or prongs I2 and I3 of the prong units I I and I6 together form complete yokes. Below the end yokes or prongs of 70 the pivotally arranged prong unit I I, small sheet metal strips I1 and I8 respectively are fixed to the strip 2 according to this modification which serve for securing the prong units.

The construction of the device shown in Figs.

75 '6-8 is somewhat similar to that shown in Figs.

1-3 of the drawings and, therefore, the same reference characters are used in Figs. 6-8 to designate parts also shown in Figs. 13. In the case of Figs. 6-8 again a strip 2 of paper, card-board or other suitable material is fixed to a cover I of snapping under the edge of the small sheet metal strip 1 bearing with its other end against the foot of this semi-circular yoke or prong. The other prong unit 4 is provided with less than half circular yokes only and is provided at its free ends with bent off portions 5 and 6 serving for guiding this prong unit which is so arranged in the strip 2 as to be shiftable in the longitudinal direction of the binder, loose leaf book or the like. The strip 2 is provided with elongated slots I9 through which extend the less than half circular yokes or prongs ofthe unit 4, so that they may be gripped for the purpose of shifting the prong unit 4 in the longitudinal direction.

If a leaf or card, for example between the cards designated a and b in Fig. 8, is withdrawn, a greater interspace 0 occurs at this place between the ends of the cards a and I). This greater interspace 0 may be eliminated by operating the new device in the following manner. With closed prong unit 3 the card a together with all cards arranged on top of same are shifted upon the less than half circular yokes of the prong unit 4 previously shifted into its highest position. Then the prong unit 3 is opened and the prong unit' 4 together with the cards or the like arranged upon its prongs or yokes is shifted downwardly with regard to the prong unit 3, whereupon the latter again is closed and finally all cards are shifted upon the complete yokes or prongs of the unit 3.

If the cards or leaves are properly inserted in a binder or the like a new card may in a similar manner be inserted between any two cards in such a manner, that the marks of the cards occupying the position below the newly inserted card are not covered. For this purpose the cards which later on lie above the card newly inserted are shifted first of all upon the less than half circular yokes or prongs of .the prong unit 4 moved into its lowermost position, whereupon the prong unit 3 is opened, the prong unit 4 together with all the cards is shifted upwardly, the prong unit 3 is closed and all the leaves or cards are again shifted upon the yokes or prongs of the latter.

What we claim is:

1. A binder for loose leaves and the like, comprising a cover, a prong unit having a plurality of locking and opening prongs consisting of half-circular yokes and a plurality of quarter circular yokes bent from said prong unit, a second prong unit having a plurality of quarter circular yokes associated therewith for intermediately holding said leaves in position-means for securing said prong units to said cover, whereby said second prong unit is secured to said cover on the side opprising a cover, a prong unit having a locking and opening prong associated therewith, said locking and opening prong consisting of a half-circular yoke and bent from said prong unit, a second prong unit having a quarter circular yoke associated therewith, the ends of said second prong unit being bent to prevent pivotal movement thereof, means for securing said first mentioned prong unit to said cover whereby said first prong unit is pivotally mounted thereon, and a metal strip secured to said cover and adapted to engage said locking and opening prong whereby said locking and opening prong is locked in closed position.

3. A temporary binder, comprising a cover, a prong unit pivotally connected to said cover and consisting of half-circular yokes and quarter circular yokes, a metal strip, said metal strip adapted to abut and engage one of said semi-circular yokes whereby said yoke is locked in closed position, and a second prong unit mounted on said cover on the side opposite said first mentioned prong unit and including quarter circular shaped comparatively short yokes.

4. A temporary binder for loose leaves or the like comprising, in combination, a cover, a plurality of spaced-apart half-circular yokes, means to join together one end of each of said yokes, said means co-operating with the cover to form a hinge to permit opening and closing of said yokes, at least two, less than half circular yokes in spaces between said first mentioned yokes, said last mentioned yokes being adapted to hold the loose leaves in position when said half circular yokes are open, means for securing said less than half circular yokes to said cover and detent means cooperating with the free end of at least one of said half circular yokes to hold said half circular yokes in closed position.

5. A binder for loose leaves and the like com-- prising a cover, a prong unit having a locking and opening prong associated therewith, a second prong unit having a quarter circular prong associated therewith, means for securing said prongs to said cover, whereby said first mentioned prong unit is pivotally connected thereto, and a metal strip secured to said cover and adapted to engage said locking and opening prong whereby said first mentioned prong unit is locked in closed position.

6. A binder for loose leaves and the like comprising a cover, a prong unit having a plurality of half circular yokes associated therewith, a second prong unit having a plurality of less than half circular yokes associated therewith for intermediately holding said leaves in position, said second prong unit being secured to said cover on the side opposite to said first prong unit, said yokes being bent from said prong units, means for securing said prong units to said cover, whereby said first mentioned prong unit is pivotally mounted thereon and said second mentioned prong unit is slidably mounted thereon, and a metal strip secured to said cover and adapted to engage said first mentioned yokes whereby said first mentioned half circular yokes are locked in closed position.

7. A temporary binder for loose leaves or the like comprising, in combination, a cover, a plurality of spaced apart half circular yokes, at least two, less than half circular yokes in spaces between said first mentioned yokes, means for securing said yokes to said cover whereby said less than half circular yokes are slidably mounted thereon and said half circular yokes are pivotally secured thereto, slots provided in said securing means for guiding said less than half circular yokes, and means for locking said half circular yokes in closed position including a recess at one end of one of said half circular yokes, and a detent adapted to engage said recess to retain the half circular yokes in closed position.

8. A loose leaf binder comprising a cover, a plurality of spaced apart substantially half-circular rings, a hinge member extending across saidcover, said rings each having one of their ends secured to said hinge member so that the free ends of said rings may be swung away from or toward said cover to open or close said rings, detent means on said cover releasably to secure said rings in closed position, a plurality of relatively short prongs positioned between the free ends of said rings, and means securing said prongs to said cover, said prongs adapted to hold certain of the sheets in the binder in place when said substantially half circular rings are in opened position.

9. A binder for loose leaves and the like comprising a cover, a prong unit having a plurality of half circular yokes associated therewith, a second prong unit having a plurality of less than half circular yokes associated therewith, and secured to said cover on the side opposite to said first prong unit, said yokes being 'bent from said prong units, means for securing said prong units to said cover, whereby said first mentioned prong unit is pivotally connected thereto, and a metal strip secured to said cover and adapted to lie beneath one of said first mentioned yokes and extend between the opposite ends of said one of said first mentioned yokes, said yoke having a recess at one of its ends to engage said strip, whereby said first mentioned yokes are locked in closed position.

FRITZ EDLER. WILI-IELM SCI-IAEFER. 

